Constant temperature wine cabinet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12507797-B2
Application number	US-202218575223-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2022
Priority date	Jun 28, 2021
Publication date	Dec 30, 2025
Grant date	Dec 30, 2025

Abstract

A refrigeration unit includes a compressor, an evaporator, a fan, and an air duct component, utilizing the evaporator for cooling and the fan to deliver cold air formed by heat exchange with the evaporator into compartments for cooling; a heating unit for transferring heat generated by the heating unit into the compartments for heating; a temperature sensor unit for detecting the actual temperature inside the compartments and the external environment temperature; and a control mainboard that selects cooling or heating based on the actual temperature within the compartments. When the control mainboard selects cooling by the refrigeration unit, the control mainboard obtains the actual environmental temperature, derives a corresponding correcting temperature difference according to the actual environmental temperature, and corrects the switch-on and switch-off temperatures of the compressor based on the corrected temperature difference; the compressor operates according to the switch-on and switch-off temperatures corrected by the corrected temperature difference.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A constant temperature wine cabinet, comprising:
a refrigeration unit comprising a compressor, an evaporator, a fan, and an air duct component, utilizing the evaporator for cooling and the fan to deliver cold air formed by heat exchange with the evaporator into compartments within a cabinet body for cooling; a heating unit for transferring heat generated by the heating unit into the compartments for heating, the heating unit comprises a first heating wire, a second heating wire, and a third heating wire; the compartments are divided into an upper compartment and a lower compartment by a partition, wherein the first heating wire is positioned on a side surface of the partition facing the lower compartment; the second heating wire is positioned at the bottom of an inner liner of the cabinet body, located at the bottom of the lower compartment; and the third heating wire is located on the outside of the inner liner of the cabinet body and opposite the evaporator; a temperature sensor unit for detecting the actual temperature inside the compartments and the external environment temperature of the constant temperature wine cabinet; and a control mainboard that selects cooling by the refrigeration unit and/or heating by the heating unit based on the external temperature within the compartments; wherein, when the control mainboard selects cooling by the refrigeration unit, the control mainboard obtains the external environmental temperature, derives a corresponding corrected temperature difference according to the actual environmental temperature, and corrects the switch-on and switch-off temperatures of the compressor based on the corresponding corrected temperature difference; the compressor operates according to the switch-on and switch-off temperatures corrected by the corresponding corrected temperature difference.

2 . The constant temperature wine cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein the correction of the compressor's switch-on and switch-off temperatures based on the corresponding corrected temperature difference further comprises:
obtaining a temperature difference between a baseline compartment temperature and the actual temperature of the compartments at a baseline environmental temperature, and conducting a baseline correction of the compressor's initial switch-on and switch-off temperatures with this baseline temperature difference, obtaining a first revised switch-on temperature and a first revised switch-off temperature; and correcting the first revised switch-on temperature and the first revised switch-off temperature based on the corresponding corrected temperature difference to obtain a second revised switch-on temperature and a second revised switch-off temperature; wherein, the compressor operates according to the second revised switch-on temperature and the second revised switch-off temperature.

3 . The constant temperature wine cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein the air duct component comprises a first cover plate, a second cover plate, and a third cover plate connected in sequence in the front-back direction, and the fan is assembled in the space between the first and second cover plates.

4 . The constant temperature wine cabinet according to claim 3 , wherein the air duct component further includes a damper component, which is located in the space between the first and second cover plates, with the fan and damper component positioned adjacently; the damper component comprises a first valve, a second valve, and a switch, the switch being electrically connected to the first and second valves; the second cover plate provides a first air outlet and a second air outlet, with the first valve located at the first air outlet and the second valve located at the second air outlet; wherein, the switch controls at least one of the first and second valves to open or close based on the actual temperature inside the compartments.

5 . The constant temperature wine cabinet according to claim 4 , wherein the air duct component further includes an upper air supply duct, an upper air supply unit, a lower air supply duct, and a lower air supply unit; wherein the first air outlet is connected to the upper air supply duct, the upper air supply duct is connected to the upper air supply unit, and the upper air supply unit is connected to the upper compartment; the second air outlet is connected to the lower air supply duct, the lower air supply duct is connected to the lower air supply unit, and the lower air supply unit is connected to the lower compartment.

6 . The constant temperature wine cabinet according to claim 5 , wherein the upper air supply unit is positioned at the top of the inner liner, located at the top of the upper compartment; the lower air supply duct is positioned on the side of the partition facing the lower compartment and at the top of the lower compartment.

7 . The constant temperature wine cabinet according to claim 6 , wherein the upper air supply unit comprises a first air supply port located at the front end of the upper air supply unit; the lower air supply unit comprises a first channel plate, a second channel plate, and a second air supply port connected in sequence, with the second air supply port positioned on the side of the second channel plate facing the lower compartment and at the front end of the second channel plate.

8 . The constant temperature wine cabinet according to claim 3 , wherein the air duct component further includes a first return air duct and a second return air duct, both set between the second and third cover plates; the third cover plate provides a first return air port and a second return air port, with the first return air port connecting the upper compartment and the first return air duct, and the second return air port connecting the lower compartment and the second return air duct; wherein the lower ends of the first and second return air ducts are respectively connected to the evaporator.

9 . The constant temperature wine cabinet according to claim 4 , further comprising:
the control mainboard selecting the refrigeration unit to cool one of the upper compartment and the lower compartment; and the control mainboard selecting the heating unit to heat the other of the upper compartment and the lower compartment; wherein, when controlling the heating unit to heat the other of the upper or lower compartment, the switch closes the first and second valves, the third heating wire heats up, and when the actual temperature of the evaporator rises to a preset temperature, the switch controls the valve connected to the other of the upper or lower compartment to open.

Assignees

• Qingdao Haier Special Freezer
• Haier Smart Home Co Ltd

Inventors

• Wang Desen
• Li Jiangtao
• Liu Renjie
• Ge Qingyan
• Zhang Tingxiu
• Long Hailiu
• Xing Jiangong
• Li Guofeng

Classifications

• F25D31/005

  Combined cooling and heating devices · CPC title

• F25D29/005

  Mounting of control devices · CPC title

• F25D31/002 Primary

  Liquid coolers, e.g. beverage cooler (receptacle coolers F25D31/006) · CPC title

• F25D2700/12

  Sensors measuring the inside temperature · CPC title

• F25D11/02

  with cooling compartments at different temperatures · CPC title